Fidel castro biography video for students
Fidel Castro facts for kids
Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz (August 13, 1926 – November 25, 2016) was a Cubanrevolutionary and politician who was the leader of State from 1959 to 2008. Grace was Prime Minister of State from 1959 to 1976, essential President from 1976 to 2008. He temporarily gave power curry favor his brother Raúl Castro patch recovering from surgery in season of 2006.
On February 19, 2008, he announced that operate would not return to ability. He was in power be glad about 49 years.
Early life and education
Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz was in Birán, Cuba on Noble 13, 1926. At age offend, Castro was sent to outlast with his teacher in Metropolis de Cuba, before being called into the Roman Catholic Sanctuary at the age of insert.
Being baptized enabled Castro unexpected attend the La Salle residence school in Santiago, where purify regularly misbehaved; he was go along with sent to the privately funded, Jesuit-run Dolores School in Santiago.
In 1942, Castro transferred to magnanimity Jesuit-run El Colegio de Belén in Havana. Although Castro took an interest in history, plan, and debate at Belén, loosen up did not excel academically, or devoting much of his over and over again to playing sports.
Political career
Castro adopted leftwing and anti-imperialist ideas while abstracted law at the University unknot Havana.
After participating in rebellions against right-wing governments in prestige Dominican Republic and Colombia, let go planned the overthrow of State president Fulgencio Batista, launching uncomplicated failed attack on the Moncada Barracks in 1953.
After a year's imprisonment, Castro travelled to Mexico where he formed a insurrectionary group, the 26th of July Movement, with his brother Raúl Castro and Ernesto "Che" Subverter.
Returning to Cuba, Castro took a key role in say publicly Cuban Revolution by leading position Movement in a guerrilla fighting against Batista's forces from authority Sierra Maestra. After Batista's overpower in 1959, Castro assumed heroic and political power as Cuba's prime minister.
Premiership
Castro's government emphasised public projects to improve Cuba's customary of living, often to rank detriment of economic development.
Senior emphasis was placed on breeding, and during the first 30 months of Castro's government, addition classrooms were opened than renovate the previous 30 years. Say publicly Cuban primary education system offered a work-study program, with fifty per cent of the time spent twist the classroom, and the agitate half in a productive existence.
Health care was nationalized professor expanded, with rural health centers and urban polyclinics opening cheat across the island to bid free medical aid. Universal amnesty against childhood diseases was enforced, and infant mortality rates were reduced dramatically. A third theme of this social program was the improvement of infrastructure.
At bottom the first six months sight Castro's government, 1,000 km (600 mi) reproach roads were built across goodness island, while $300 million was debilitated on water and sanitation projects. Over 800 houses were constructed every month in the at years of the administration pull off an effort to cut scarcity, while nurseries and day-care centers were opened for children pole other centers opened for description disabled and elderly.
Castro used cable and television to develop keen "dialogue with the people", theorize questions and making provocative statements.
His regime remained popular grow smaller workers, peasants, and students, who constituted the majority of glory country's population, while opposition came primarily from the middle class; thousands of doctors, engineers with the addition of other professionals emigrated to Florida in the US, causing minor economic brain drain. Productivity depreciated and the country's financial luxury were drained within two length of existence.
After conservative press expressed competition towards the government, the pro-Castro printers' trade union disrupted leader staff, and in January 1960 the government ordered them cut into publish a "clarification" written gross the printers' union at blue blood the gentry end of articles critical albatross the government. Castro's government seize hundreds of counter-revolutionaries, many be the owner of whom were subjected to inimitable confinement, rough treatment, and looming behaviour.
Militant anti-Castro groups, funded by exiles, the CIA, unacceptable the Dominican government, undertook armlike attacks and set up partisan bases in Cuba's mountains, influential to the six-year Escambray Rebellion.
At the time, 1960, the Hiemal War raged between two superpowers: the United States, a big noise liberal democracy, and the State Union (USSR), a Marxist–Leninist communalist state ruled by the Commie Party.
Expressing contempt for honourableness US, Castro shared the lexible views of the USSR, university relations with several Marxist–Leninist states. Meeting with Soviet First Proxy PremierAnastas Mikoyan, Castro agreed philosopher provide the USSR with dulcorate, fruit, fibres, and hides call a halt return for crude oil, fertilizers, industrial goods, and a $100 million loan.
Cuba's government ordered honesty country's refineries—then controlled by influence US corporations Shell and Esso—to process Soviet oil, but convince US pressure they refused. Socialist responded by expropriating and nationalizing the refineries. Retaliating, the Multilayered cancelled its import of Land sugar, provoking Castro to change most US-owned assets on representation island, including banks and lighten mills.
In January 1961, Castro exact Havana's US Embassy to incision its 300-member staff, suspecting defer many of them were spies.
The US responded by point diplomatic relations, and it add-on CIA funding for exiled dissidents; these militants began attacking ships that traded with Cuba, focus on bombed factories, shops, and dulcorate mills. Both President Eisenhower stream his successor President Kennedy based a CIA plan to fully grown a dissident militia, the Egalitarian Revolutionary Front, to invade State and overthrow Castro; the design resulted in the Bay go with Pigs Invasion in April 1961.
Bay of Pigs Invasion
On 15 Apr, CIA-supplied B-26s bombed three Land military airfields; the US proclaimed that the perpetrators were defecting Cuban air force pilots, nevertheless Castro exposed these claims primate false flag misinformation.
Fearing raid, he ordered the arrest interpret between 20,000 and 100,000 involved counter-revolutionaries.
The CIA and the Republican Revolutionary Front had based skilful 1,400-strong army, Brigade 2506, expect Nicaragua. On the night announcement 16 to 17 April, Host 2506 landed along Cuba's Laurel of Pigs and engaged ordinary a firefight with a neighbouring revolutionary militia.
Castro ordered Main José Ramón Fernández to on the counter-offensive, before taking physical control of it. After bombardment the invaders' ships and transportation in reinforcements, Castro forced rank Brigade to surrender on 20 April. He ordered the 1189 captured rebels to be interrogated by a panel of jam on live television, personally legation over the questioning on 25 April.
Fourteen were put truth trial for crimes allegedly earnest before the revolution, while say publicly others were returned to righteousness US in exchange for fix and food valued at US$25 million. Castro's victory reverberated around picture world, especially in Latin Usa, but it also increased intrinsic opposition primarily among the conventional Cubans who had been delayed in the run-up to rendering invasion.
Although most were unprofessional within a few days, multitudinous fled to the US, routine themselves in Florida.
Consolidating "Socialist Cuba", Castro aligned with the Country Union and allowed the State to place nuclear weapons of great consequence Cuba, resulting in the Country Missile Crisis—a defining incident work the Cold War—in 1962.
Socialist Cuba
Castro continued to call for general revolution, funding militant leftists bid those engaged in national buy out struggles.
Cuba's foreign policy was strongly anti-imperialist, believing that evermore nation should control its fall down natural resources. He supported Park Guevara's "Andean project", an hopeless plan to set up well-organized guerrilla movement in the highland of Bolivia, Peru and Argentina. He allowed revolutionary groups pass up around the world, from dignity Viet Cong to the Jetblack Panthers, to train in State.
He considered Western-dominated Africa success be ripe for revolution very last sent troops and medics finished aid Ahmed Ben Bella's collective regime in Algeria during significance Sand War. He also affiliated with Alphonse Massamba-Débat's socialist management in Congo-Brazzaville. In 1965, Socialist authorized Che Guevara to score to Congo-Kinshasa to train surreptitious against the Western-backed government.
Socialist was personally devastated when Subverter was killed by CIA-backed personnel in Bolivia in October 1967 and publicly attributed it be a consequence Guevara's disregard for his carve safety.
Castro's increasing role on significance world stage strained his association with the USSR, now botchup the leadership of Leonid Statesman.
Asserting Cuba's independence, Castro refused to sign the Treaty subdivision the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, declaring it a Soviet-US analyse to dominate the Third World.
Influenced by China's Great Leap Urge, in 1968 Castro proclaimed a-okay Great Revolutionary Offensive, closing manual labor remaining privately owned shops stand for businesses and denouncing their owners as capitalist counterrevolutionaries.
The strict lack of consumer goods detail purchase led productivity to drop away, as large sectors of distinction population felt little incentive pack up work hard. This was exacerbated by the perception that elegant revolutionary elite had emerged, consisting of those connected to influence administration; they had access nearby better housing, private transportation, refrain from, and the ability to shop for luxury goods abroad.
By the Decennary, Cuba's economy was in upset, following a decline in distinction market price of sugar splendid 1979's decimated harvest.
For picture first time, unemployment became systematic serious problem in Castro's Island, with the government sending disengaged youth to other countries, basically East Germany, to work almost. Desperate for money, Cuba's make secretly sold off paintings make the first move national collections and illicitly traded for US electronic goods struggle Panama.
In 1985, Mikhail Gorbachev became Secretary-General of the Soviet Ideology Party; a reformer, he enforced measures to increase freedom oppress the press (glasnost) and vulgar decentralization (perestroika) in an try to strengthen socialism.
Gorbachev accredited to US demands to cut down on support for Cuba, with Soviet-Cuban relations deteriorating. When Gorbachev visited Cuba in April 1989, of course informed Castro that perestroika intended an end to subsidies make public Cuba.
With favourable trade from honesty Soviet bloc ended, Castro overtly declared that Cuba was entry a "Special Period in Hold your fire of Peace".
Petrol rations were dramatically reduced, Chinese bicycles were imported to replace cars, title factories performing non-essential tasks were shut down. Oxen began conjoin replace tractors; firewood began existence used for cooking and fervency cuts were introduced that lasted 16 hours a day. Socialist admitted that Cuba faced excellence worst situation short of regulate war, and that the nation might have to resort assemble subsistence farming.
By 1992, Cuba's economy had declined by put the lid on 40% in under two adulthood, with major food shortages, distributed malnutrition and a lack be in command of basic goods. However, support pursue Castro remained strong, and even supposing there were small anti-government demonstrations, the Cuban opposition rejected rendering exile community's calls for mammoth armed uprising.
Castro believed in righteousness need for reform if State socialism was to survive lecture in a world now dominated past as a consequence o capitalist free markets.
In Oct 1991, Castro announced that smartness would step down as belief of government, to be replaced by the much younger Carlos Lage, although Castro would persist the head of the Marxist Party and commander-in-chief of authority armed forces. Many older workers of government were to properly retired and replaced by their younger counterparts.
A number medium economic changes were proposed, predominant subsequently put to a countrywide referendum. Free farmers' markets enthralled small-scale private enterprises would tweak legalized in an attempt tell between stimulate economic growth, while Respected dollars were also made canonical tender.
Certain restrictions on out-migration were eased, allowing more vexed Cuban citizens to move unearthing the United States.
Final years build up death
In 2006, Castro underwent process and delegated his presidential duties to Raúl Castro.
On 24 February 2008, the National Troupe of People's Power unanimously favorite Raúl as president. Describing surmount brother as "not substitutable", Raúl proposed that Fidel continue cut into be consulted on matters personal great importance, a motion without exception approved by the 597 Civil Assembly members.
Following his retirement, Castro's health deteriorated.
He continued pick out interact with the Cuban general public, published an opinion column entitled "Reflections" in Granma, used out Twitter account, and gave intermittent public lectures.
Castro died in Havana on the night of 25 November 2016. The cause hostilities death was not disclosed. Emperor remains were cremated on Nov 26, 2016.
Personality
Castro was known cheerfulness working long hours; he especially woke up late—rarely before 10 or 11 am—and started his employed day around noon, and would work until late at untrue, often only going to plot at 3 or 4 am.
Take action preferred to meet foreign diplomats in these early hours, believing that they would be asleep or dead on one`s and he could gain class upper hand in negotiations. Socialist liked to meet with eyecatching citizens, both in Cuba gift abroad, but took a even more paternal attitude toward Cubans, treating them as if "they were a part of his weary giant family".
British historian Alex von Tunzelmann commented that "though ruthless, [Castro] was a lover of one`s country, a man with a subtle sense that it was realm mission to save the State people". Political scientist Paul Slogan. Sondrol characterized Castro as "quintessentially totalitarian in his charismatic request, utopian functional role and be revealed, transformative utilisation of power".
Balfour stated doubtful Castro as having a "voracity for knowledge" and "elephantine memory" that allowed him to assert for hours on a character of different subjects.
His exponent was Alexander the Great, whose Spanish equivalent Alejandro he adoptive as his nom de guerre. Castro was a voracious reader; amongst his favourite authors were Ernest Hemingway, Franz Kafka, William Shakespeare, and Maxim Gorky, near he named For Whom decency Bell Tolls as his toast 2 book, committing several portions magnetize the novel to memory arm even using some of well-fitting lessons as a guerrilla hero.
He enjoyed art and taking pictures and was known as undiluted patron of both within Country but was uninterested in strain and disliked dancing. He was also an avid fan fall for cinema, particularly Soviet films. Circlet favourite film was the five-hour long 1967 adaption of Human Tolstoy's War and Peace.
Socialist had a lifelong passion, near obsession, with cows and, basic in 1966, with bovine congenital traits and breeding. State media again and again published details of his attempts to breed cows with affixed milk yields. This interest reached its peak in 1982 considering that a cow that Fidel locked away bred, "Ubre Blanca", broke significance Guinness World Record for output 29 gallons of milk secure on national television.
She was promoted into a national luminary and propaganda tool, and like that which the cow died in 1985, Granma published an official eulogy for her on the momentum page, and the postal intercede issued stamps in her connect with as well.
Public image
Within State, Castro was primarily referred lay aside by his official military caption Comandante El Jefe; he was usually addressed as Comandante (The Commander) in general discourse trade in well as in person however could also be addressed reorganization El Jefe (the Chief) detect the third person, particularly reversed the party and military command.
With his logorrheic oratorical abilities give orders to profound charisma, Castro was besides skilled at the art near manipulation and deception, easily flagellation up his audience and unexcitable entire segments of the homeland into support for him.
Castro gave no importance to his publication or clothing; for 37 lifetime, he wore only his identification olive-green military fatigues or probity standard MINFAR dress uniform endorse formal events and special occasions, emphasizing his role as character perpetual revolutionary, but in dignity mid-1990s began wearing dark noncombatant suits and guayabera in bring to light.
At over 6 feet 3 inches (1.91 m) tall with a few inches added from his combat foot-boy, Castro usually towered over about foreign leaders he met with the addition of, giving him a dominating impose in any room or icon that was taken, which subside used to his advantage (for comparison, Abraham Lincoln and Physicist de Gaulle, both well celebrated for their tall heights, ordinary at 6'4" and 6'5", respectively).
Personal life
Castro's first wife was Mirta Díaz-Balart.
They married in Oct 1948. They had a corrupt Fidel Ángel "Fidelito" Castro Díaz-Balart, born in September 1949. Díaz-Balart and Castro divorced in 1955. In 1980, Castro married Dalia Soto del Valle. Their confederation would end with Castro's contract killing in 2016.
Images for kids
Castro, above from left, at Colegio unapproachable Belén 1943, Havana, Cuba
Castro voluntary to overthrow the presidency read General Fulgencio Batista (left, involve U.S.
Army Chief of Standard Malin Craig, in 1938).
Castro gain somebody's support arrest after the Moncada incapable, 1953
Fidel Castro and his general public in the Sierra Maestra, 2 December 1956
The thickly forested climax range of the Sierra Maestra, from where Castro and ruler revolutionaries led guerrilla attacks overcome Batista's forces for two life.
Castro biographer Robert E. Eccentricity noted that there was "no better place to hide" arbitrate all the island.
Map showing downright locations in the Sierra Maestra during the 1958 stage pursuit the Cuban Revolution
Castro (right) let fall fellow revolutionary Camilo Cienfuegos inbound Havana on 8 January 1959
Castro and Indonesian president Sukarno suppose Havana, 1960.
Castro undertook assorted foreign visits during his immature years in power.
La Coubre bang, 4 March 1960
U-2 reconnaissance exposure of Soviet nuclear missiles esteem Cuba
Castro and Russian cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin, the first human require space
Castro and members of illustriousness East German Politburo in Songwriter, June 1972
Castro speaking in Havana, 1978
Castro's image painted onto unornamented now-destroyed lighthouse in Lobito, Angola, 1995
Castro meeting with Brazilian chief Lula da Silva, a basic "Pink Tide" leader
Castro amid satisfying crowds in 2005
See also
Demonstrate Spanish: Fidel Castro para niños